Gun to the Ghost
by Notori the Storm Wolf
Summary: Single mother and thief Emma Swan never would have thought that the ghosts and goblins of nightmares were real, much less that anyone actually took the time to fight them. After an encounter with a Black Cat demon, she finds herself seeking help from Paranormal P.I. siblings: Neal and Regina. What world has she got herself into? Will she join them in their fight? SwanQueen!
1. Crossing Paths

**A/N: **This follows one of my headcanons where Rumple is Regina's father which makes her and Neal 't let the intro fool you. There is no romantic SwanFire in this - more of a casual friendship. Hope you enjoy it!

**I - Crossing Paths**

Emma knew she shouldn't have been walking alone this late at night. She'd seen enough cop shows to know how pretty girls end up in situations like this. But it was New York City, and while that might be even more of a deterrent to some, the city that never sleeps always kept her safe. Or so she felt.

Even as the street lamps flickered in unison, Emma paid no mind. With hands shoved deep in her torn jean pockets, she continued walking along the cracked sidewalk towards her apartment. Cars whizzed past her, busy even at this hour. Her hair was tangled and shoved back in a messy ponytail which hung loosely over the back of her red leather jacket.

Aching feet carried her to the curb and she gave a quick glance left and right before jaywalking to the other side. Emma felt a trace of suspicion after she crossed and peered to the side, catching the sight of a dark figure emerging from the shadows of an awning. Her brow furrowed as she picked up the pace, continually looking over her shoulder to see him following.

His outfit was creepy enough: a beige trench coat, combat boots and black wide-brimmed hat which was chewed and torn around the edges; but he didn't seem to be following her closely. His pace was almost sluggish, but something told Emma that beneath the darkness cloaking his face, his eyes were constantly fixated on her. Without a doubt, he _was_ following her, he would just have to catch up eventually.

_I'll be home soon, Henry..._ Emma told herself. She had to make it home safe; there was no alternative option, not with her son waiting eagerly. At least that's how she imagined it. Surely he was asleep by now, if Ruby - the girl who lived across the hall - was being a good babysitter. But Emma knew the look on his face every morning when she had just come home from a long night. It was always innocent and bright, the seven year old truly hadn't a care in the world so long as his mom was there. A smile pulled at her lips.

_So I have to be there._ But the smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. A routine check behind her revealed that the stranger was suddenly no longer trailing behind; although when Emma took a precautionary turn down a side street, she gasped.

What frightened her was not a man, nor a woman for that matter... or anything. The surrounding lights all burst simultaneously, shrouding them in darkness. And in the darkness, Emma could see right through where this... thing's head was supposed to be. The hat sat atop nothing, and its coat hung in the dead air. Boots shuffled in the grimy puddle, taking a bold step forward.

"What the fuck?!" Emma shouted in terror, eyes wide as she threw herself back with all the remaining strength in her body. She stumbled a bit on her feet, but managed to see just a bit more that before as the figure followed her. It seemed that - while invisible in the shadows - in the light, it _was_ a shadow.

These visions were mere seconds in the reality of it all. Emma wasted no time at all in turning on her heel and bolting into the street. A decision that had a series of vehicles screeching to a halt and swerving to avoid her. Her racing heart and ragged breaths kept her head clear as the mess of drivers shouted obscenities. Emma looked around, momentarily distracted by them all getting back into the correct lanes and driving away.

She hadn't even the time to call for help before looking back at where she had been. The figure was gone, which didn't make her feel any safer. Emma finished crossing the street in a hurry, carelessly winding up in the darkness once again. Although, this time, she would not make an escape as easily. She felt her body wrapped up by the empty space, violently dragging her back. She flailed her feet against the pavement and reached up to grip what was surely an arm covering her mouth. It was pulling her further into the shadows of a nearby alleyway.

_No! Get off me!_ She shouted in her mind, burning adrenaline to kick into an instinctual response. She had had some training in the area of self defense, and it wasn't long before her elbow instinctively thrust backwards into the ribs of... whatever this was. Emma's ears were pierced by the shrill feline howl.

She managed to get a few steps further away before seeing the trench coat whip towards her at inhuman speed. And although Emma was ready to fight again, despite not knowing what she was up against, the silent gunshot from afar soon proved it irrelevant. She was frozen stiff in her tracks. What she could faintly make out in the darkness was a bullet floating in mid air, just a few inches below the hat. It quivered a bit, revealing an expanding pool of blood which dribbled down the coat.

"What the hell is-"

"A Black Cat," a man answered from behind Emma's aggressor. As he spoke and stepped closer, the floating bullet and clothes fell to the ground with an empty thud, "At least they're vulnerable to normal stuff - but they can scare the shit outta you."

Emma looked back up from the pile of fabric and saw a man roughly her age clothed in a hoodie and leather jacket, not unlike what she would normally wear, along with well worn khakis. His scruffy face would have him pegged as a scoundrel by any passersby, but Emma sensed more warmth from his smile.

"Yeah... thanks..." she muttered, still afraid and confused.

"Neal," he said, extending his hand to shake hers. The action was reciprocated on reflex alone, as Emma had in fact gone back to staring at the bloodied coat, "Neal Cassidy, Ghost Slayer!"

Emma blinked, "What?"

"Fine," he sighed, "Paranormal Private Investigator; just don't tell my sister that you didn't like Ghost Slayer."

What was this guy on about? That was about the only thing Emma managed to think in that moment. Truly, this couldn't be anything more than a nightmare. No matter how many times she tried to shake off the sight, it continued to be right there in front of it; Neal along with it. He was now kneeling next to the remains of the so-called Black Cat, gathering it into a small enough pile to carry before standing back up.

"You live around here?" he asked, but got no reply, "Hey, it's gone now, alright? It's not gonna get you again."

Emma took a step back when he reached out to give a comforting pat on the shoulder. None of this was real.

"I- I have to go, uhh..." she stuttered and turned around, about to take off full speed when her wrist was grabbed, "Let go of-!"

"Whoa whoa!" Neal retracted immediately, but flicked a card out from his sleeve between his fingers, "Just take this. It's our phone number. If you see anything or need help again, we'll take care of it."

* * *

Bloodshot emerald eyes stared at the small piece of paper. Emma still hadn't quite figured out why she took it last night, but here she was, contemplating her very reality. She was slumped over the edge of her small dining room table, lost in thought until the small voice of her son caught her attention.

"Mama!" Henry patted her arm, getting her to look over at his empty plate and bowl, "I finished!"

"You're awesome, kid," Emma smiled, she was lucky to have a kid who always loved his fruits and vegetables. Meal time was never a problem with Henry, with a few exceptions. Her expression fell somber in that moment, looking over at the jacket that was laying on the floor. Whenever the pockets were empty, it meant her wallet was too, and whenever that happened...

Henry had since hopped off his chair and was now sitting on the pile of old coats which served as a bed; though it was more like a nest. Emma was always torn when she saw him be so happy in their cramped studio apartment. The paint was peeling off the walls to reveal bricks and wood at best, if not, vermin. This table was the only furniture they had, given to them kindly by Ruby's grandmother. The kid had never known anything better, and even if Emma hadn't really either, she knew _of_ better lives. Of anyone, Henry didn't deserve this, but he was also the happiest one.

"Come on," Emma finally stood up, chuckling at her thoughts and picking up his backpack, "Time for school."

"Okay!" Henry rolled up onto his feet and stuck out his arms for his mother to help him on with his sweater and then hand him his bag. He also loved school; learning and reading were his two favourite things. After practically skipping down the stairs of the crumbling building, it was only one block to the school bus stop where he gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and hug before heading off.

Emma waited until the vehicle was out of sight, as usual, but hurried back inside quickly. Not only was the exhaustion catching up with her, but there was always the chance someone might recognize her. She grimaced, kicking a rock into the base of a trash can and startling when it clanged. Thoughts about her dire financial circumstances were failing as a distraction from the recent memories - instead they only added to her stresses.

_As if I didn't have enough problems, I've gotten softer on the streets. How am I supposed to steal enough for rent if some creep does me in like that? _Her shoulders drooped and Emma fell back on the door after closing it. It wasn't as though she could get a normal job, not with her lack of experience - or her criminal record. Hell, if she even applied anywhere, the second her information got passed through the government she would be hauled in. Which would mean Henry would end up in the foster system. Her fist clenched, _I won't let that happen._

It was the first moment of quiet in the new day, and anything seemed better than standing right now. With a yawn, Emma walked over to the very same pile of coats that her son used as a bed during the nights when she wasn't home; then curled up in them and let her eyes drift closed.

* * *

Miles north of the Big Apple, there was a much smaller town on the coast of New England. Most would even say that the hovel known as Storybrooke was even known at all. It was hidden amongst the trees, and home to a population of only a thousand. There was one school which served all grades, the town diner, the police station, the library complete with an old timey clock tower... and Neal drove past them all in a single trip back down main street.

The sunrise had only just stopped being a burden on his eyes when he turned the next corner on his path home. He yawned into his fist clenched over the leather of his truck's steering wheel. It had been a long night and most of it was driving. His eyelids fell shut more often than they should have by now, but he was almost there.

_Bed... soon..._ He yawned again while chuckling to himself. There was just one thing that had to be done first. At long last, Neal pulled up to his farmhouse home. After setting the parking brake and shutting off the engine, he hopped out of the driver's side with a shrug of his shoulders to adjust his hoodie and jacket. He reached over to gather the bloodied clothing from the Black Cat he had slain that night, sighing, _This better not take too long. I mean, I came back in one piece._

With the kick of his foot, he shut the door behind him and checked his pocket for his keys out of habit. He was certain that he hadn't woken anyone with the slam, and could take a pretty good guess that his keys would prove unnecessary in..._ three, two, one..._

Right on cue, the front door opened to reveal an olive skinned brunette whose carefully shaped eyebrows were bent into a stern frown. Such an expression would have anyone lowering their head sheepishly, even Neal who had seen it for years. The coffee in her mug steamed in the cool morning air as she stood on the porch, sizing up the situation by the man's expression as well as all he was holding. Her scornful gaze shifted from angry to annoyed boredom when their eyes finally met. Neal's last attempt at a sheepish grin wouldn't shield him even a little bit.

"So either you went hunting without me..." she glanced back down at the obvious blood stains, "Or your date went terribly wrong."

"Neither! I swear!" he pleaded at the quip, trying not to laugh - he was still begging forgiveness after all.

"Then I don't want to know what you're holding," she took a confident sigh and stepped back, quickly shutting the door in Neal's face, and was already walking further into the house when it opened back up as he followed her.

"Come on, Regina, don't be mad. I left you a message!" he immediately regretted reminding her of that the second she turned around with her phone in hand, ready and waiting for the opportunity to replay what he had sent her last night. Or at least what could be heard over the blaring music in the background from whatever establishment he had been frequenting.

_"Hey sis! In NYC! This girl's totally hot! Okay she's coming back, see ya later!"_

"Okay so it wasn't the most detailed message..." his eyes fell to the side, though only for a second before he looked back at her with a scowl, "And it actually went fine, thanks for asking!"

"I didn't ask," Regina replied with a smirk before sitting down at their quaint kitchen table and taking a sip of her drink. She motioned for Neal to join her; or well, it was more like she pointed to the remaining chair in such a way that warned him he better get to an explanation soon.

"I was driving back to the interstate when I saw this woman - gorgeous blonde, totally your type -"

"Get to the point!" she couldn't protest quickly enough to stop the blush from rising to her cheeks.

"Anyway, she was being followed by some creep so I slowed down a bit and well... Turns out it was a Black Cat. I got rid of it for her and that's that. Got right back home."

There was a long silence between them while Regina relaxed her shoulders. Her eyes had closed for the time in which she contemplated how to handle the situation. Her morning beverage calmed her, but she wouldn't admit to being scared out loud - certainly not directly to Neal - but she couldn't stay too angry at him. It wasn't meant to be patronizing, but she didn't want to lose someone else important to her. And in the end, that was the sentiment that won over. Her hand rested atop his for a second as she stood up again.

"Just learn how to use voice mail properly."

Neal just chuckled, knowing full well that he would have felt the same way. He heard Regina set up in the study and summoned the strength to stand on his weary legs.

_Yeah... voice mail and Skype. No idea how I'm gonna keep seeing this girl..._

He turned and walked back to the stairs, opening the door to the basement - conveniently located beneath them - on his way and tossed the clothes down the stairs to deal with later. Right now he had only one thing left on his mind. He kicked off his shoes by his bedroom door and trudged over to the edge of the bed, discarding as many layers as he could before he fell face first into the blankets.

* * *

Emma's sleep had consisted of sporadic power naps that _would have_ been refreshing if not for the nightmares which woke her almost every half hour. She was stuck in a haze each time, unsure if she had truly woken up or if the dreams were more than that. She tossed and turned in the makeshift bed, continually trying to keep her eyes shut while also trying to keep the memories at bay.

Finally, she sat up and frowned, clenching a fist over her bent knee. A part of her had been hoping she would play it out like a storybook character. The way that they always seemed to have a convenient ability to deny what they had gone through sounded pretty appealing right now. Emma was a logical person for sure; a skeptic who would always need factual proof before believing in anything as outrageous as an invisible man trying to capture her. But the more she focused on facts, the more it brought her to something she simply couldn't believe.

_Okay Swan, go over it again: Is there any reason you couldn't have seen it properly?_ She asked herself on repeat, always coming to the same conclusion: No. She wasn't drunk, and in fact was very focused on her surroundings - being a thief strengthened that talent. _What the hell was that thing? That guy... he said it was a 'Black Cat' but that obviously wasn't a cat!_

Her eyes widened when she recalled the shriek it made when she rammed her elbow into its side. Her fingertips danced over the letters on the card that had now been crumpled and reopened so many times it was a wonder the phone number was still legible. _A paranormal private investigator? Is that even a thing?_

Emma's focus shifted from her thoughts to the door opening. She had been so lost in her memories that she didn't even realize the time, knowing it was clearly Henry returning home. Her skittish reaction earned her a curious stare from the child as he shut the door behind him, but she calmed the moment reality set in.

"Mom? Are you okay?" his gentle voice brought a smile to her face.

"Yeah, I will be," she got up and walked over to where he was already setting up with a snack. For someone only in the first grade, he was quite capable and mature. An after school routine hadn't ever been set up for him, but Henry would always come home right on time, get a snack, and then start on his homework right away, "If only I had your work ethic, kid."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing," Emma shook her head, chuckling as she sat down in the opposite chair. She watched her son take out his various coloured folders and start on his reading assignments. Henry understood most of the material, but she was always eager to help when he needed. It was moments like this that made her feel like a good parent; where she could forget about having to steal to get by, that she couldn't ever go to parent-teacher meetings, and that their circumstances placed far more of a stress on her child than he should have to bear.

Time passed and Henry had begun his last assignment: a simple drawing of a dream. Surely the teacher had meant 'dream' in the sense of a goal, but the boy had interpreted it literally and began colouring in various shades of brown and far too much black.

Emma caught it in her periphery while she was cooking some dinner and felt her heart freeze up. What was it that made the child think of his future so bleakly?

"Henry, what are you doing?" she turned and hovered over his shoulder as he continued to draw, clearly concerned with his behaviour.

"Ms. Blanchard said to draw a dream we had. I saw this not last night, the night before. It was weird but-" he had drawn one last detail that pushed Emma's sanity to the brink: a large hat and trench coat, "Hey!"

"Hang on," Emma had since snatched it up, her breathing now erratic as her eyes scanned every last detail, "What is this? What happened in the dream?"

"He was walking in the middle of the road but nobody saw him. I don't know why they didn't stop, but even though no one saw him, the cars still crashed and then he ran away. Then I woke up."

Emma had to force her composure back to the surface. She feared she had already scared the kid enough as it is, although he didn't seem to fazed by it - or the dream for that matter. She handed the paper back to him, but also set out a new blank sheet.

"I don't think that's the kind of dream she meant," she forced out a laugh, "Think about what you want to be when you grow up. Draw something like that."

"Okay!" Henry replied with an easygoing grin before setting out to draw a picture of him and his mother in a large house.

Emma had gone to pacing about the adjacent room, clutching the card from earlier in her palm. Just two days ago everything was normal. Well, normal as they could be for a woman who walked the streets of New York City in the middle of the night for some easy cash to grab. It didn't take long though before she just couldn't handle the confusion. She would never say she believed in any of this, but she admitted to herself that there were some questions she simply couldn't answer on her own.

"Henry, stay here, I'll be back in a few minutes - Ruby will be over while I'm gone," she rushed to the door, pulling her jacket over her.

"Okay!"

After an easily accepted request to watch the boy for a moment, Emma left Ruby to her apartment while she rushed down the stairs. It was humid and unpleasant, only just about to rain when Emma found herself searching for a payphone,_ Damn it... They think everyone has cell phones these days..._

After a few turns here and there, she finally came across one and wasted no time pulling out the card from her pocket and tossing her remaining change into the machine. She jostled her foot and drummed her fingers against the plexiglass wall, her impatience catching up with her just in time for the ringing to stop.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, you, guy from last night," Emma started.

_"Neal," he corrected, the chuckle was evident from across the phone line._

"Look, I don't know what's going on. But if you do then..."

_"… Then?" he teased, only to receive cautioned silence on the other end, "Wow, you're really bad at asking for help."_

"I need to know what that thing was, because my kid just drew a picture of it without me telling him anything."

_"Was that seriously the first thing that tipped you off?" his cavalier approach was grating on her nerves._

"… One of the things," Emma conceded before fallen silent once more. This time Neal let her have it, he could tell she was in clear denial which - honestly - was the case for most people if they were ever faces with something so blatantly abnormal, "… And the fact that I was nearly killed by an invisible man."

_"How's it feel to say it?"_

"What?"

"That you were nearly killed by an invisible man."

"That doesn't matter, but can we meet up again? I just... He's my son... I need to protect him, you know?"

_"Yeah, I get it," Neal's tone now reflected her serious shift in demeanour, "So... you ready to take a trip up to Maine?"_


	2. Riding the Rails

**A/N:** **Thank you so much for reading! I honestly didn't expect to generate any interest before Emma and Regina meet - which is thankfully in this chapter ;D. I cannot apologize profusely enough for the delay. Life got a hold of me T_T.**

**Riding the Rails**

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Emma asked, glancing back and forth between Ruby and her son.

Her gaze shifted from humility to concern to an attempt at bringing out a calmer exterior for the sake of seeming more in control than she actually was. Emma stood in the doorway with a patched up rucksack over her shoulder. It was loaded with as many supplies as she could take with her, based off of what she could carry for the trip along with what she had in the first place. Luckily, Ruby's grandmother had taken it upon herself to give the woman some baked good and fruits to take along.

"Don't worry about it," the other woman grinned, patting Henry's head, "It'll be fun! We'll watch movies, cook with Granny; all sorts of fun stuff."

Emma smiled, her genuine thanks radiating from it until she knelt down to be at face level with her son. He loved Ruby, she knew that, but he was still just a kid. And truth be told, she didn't know how long she would take... or in the worst case scenario, if shed even make it back. Something in the boy's eyes told her he knew it too; there was a weight between them, pulling their hearts down into their stomachs.

"This is very important, Henry," Emma tried to smile again, holding onto his little shoulder, "You know I wouldn't be going away if it weren't, right?"

"When are you coming back?"

"Soon," she tried to restrain her own emotions. The residual memories of every time she had heard that from one of her families haunted her. She never wanted to be that person with Henry: someone who over-hoped, who would just say everything was going to be good when it wasn't. But now, there was a limit to what she could say - if anything because there was a decent chance no one would believe her.

Before she could even come up with another light note to leave on, Emma was broken from her thoughts by the thud of a small body against hers. Henry had wrapped her up in as tight a hug as he could muster, catching her off guard for a moment until he spoke, "I know. I'll wait with Ruby for you."

Emma expelled a soft gasp at it all, slowly lifting her arms to return the embrace. _This _wasn't like her and her many families. She never had any hope, or even a thought, that they would come back. Once they were 'going away for a while' they wouldn't be seen again... Maybe once to drop of some things, but nothing special.

"Don't worry," Ruby spoke, knowing full well what the woman was thinking, "You'll be back in no time and everything will be back to normal."

Emma nodded, smiling again as she placed a kiss on Henry's forehead before standing up. She didn't want to say this next, but somehow, it just slipped out.

"I promise I'll be back."

* * *

Emma had been walking next to the train tracks for quite some time. It had gotten cold in the night; enough to urge her to pull her jacket closer to her for warmth as she continually checked behind her for any sign of lights. After nearly two hours, her emerald eyes shone with excitement as they reflected an engine barreling towards her.

"Finally!" puffs of mist fell from between her lips as she picked up her pace.

For whatever reason that fate had decided to throw Emma into a continuous string of less-than-deal situations, the woman had developed a suitable, unique, skillset to keep her going. She smirked, looking back over her shoulder again every few seconds now. This train was approaching quickly, and she couldn't afford to miss the jump she was aiming for.

Within seconds, the vehicle was pulling up beside her, but it was only just starting to pick up speed after leaving the city limits. Nowadays train security was much tighter, which meant that instead of waiting for the possibility of an open car to hop into, there was only one option: right behind the engine.

Emma forced all of her strength into her legs and took her leap of faith... and skill. There was plenty of railing to hold onto, which she grabbed easily and wasted no time in vaulting herself over and getting out of the way of the wind. Bitterness aside, at the speed a train was going, such winds would be able to knock her off the side like a leaf. But she had made it just in time, heaving her breaths and crouching into the shadows of the thin platform hanging above the area where the cars latched together.

_Made it... Now just a few more hours._

Emma had been shivering for quite some time now. Even with the wind blocked, it was still the middle of the night on a speeding train. She furrowed her brow, trying to make sense of her surroundings.

_Did I fall asleep...?_ her thoughts were groggy but she was certain she hadn't. The woman may have been reckless enough to hop a moving freight train to travel north - but not stupid enough to risk a second of potentially letting go of the railing. Still, she hadn't expected it to take this long to travel to a state that was actually within driving distance. She adjusted her sleeve to take a look at her watch.

"Tch," she grumbled, noting that the hands were stuck in place, "Piece of crap knock off."

Emma sighed, eyelids drooping again while she assured her hold on the metal bar, S_eriously... how long has it been? I guess I'm just bored._

Minutes passed... Hours passed... And the sun still didn't rise. Emma had to keep shaking her head, and alternate between standing and sitting, in order to keep herself awake; but if she was being honest... it actually felt like days. Her muscles quivered, deprived of rest for longer than she could even think about. Her senses were fading as well.

_I... can't see anything_, she closed her eyes, _I can't hear anything..._

Slowly but surely, her fingers relaxed and her hand dropped to her side, leaving her to sway and tumble about the small metal platform, _So cold..._

Emma could no longer feel the frigid air against her skin; instead it began to radiate from her very core. But after a few minutes, the woman would prove to have more wits about her than even she expected in this situation.

_I'm dying..._ Suddenly, a spark went off in her heart. She thought of Henry, waiting for her. She thought of the life she wanted to build for them. Soon she thought of Henry's father and how much she wanted to give him a piece of her mind and storm of. Eventually, her mind was being filled with every person who ever used her, belittled her, degraded her... Emma grit her teeth - feeling for the first time in hours - as her memories fell back to her son._ I'm not dying yet!_

Nails clawed against the frosty metal surface, but it didn't faze her anymore. An emerald eye peeked out at the dark surroundings, not that Emma could have any real sense of where she was anymore anyway. In time, willpower alone renewed her hearing - not that she cared much for what she heard. The rhythmic clangs of the wheels against rails were hypnotic, but the screeching from the engine was haunting.

It took all of Emma's strength to first get to her knees, then take a wobbly stance against the railing again. She heaved her shaking breaths, holding tight to the side of the engine with one hand and her backpack with the other. There was nothing in sight, ever; not even a horizon.

_I've had... too much... "not normal" shit for one day..._ She shut her eyes forcefully, holding tighter for a few seconds longer to prepare herself, _Here goes nothing!_

Emma stepped out, against the fiercely beating winds, and took a leap of faith. She kicked off the metal steps and out into the abyss. However, the moment she opened her eyes again, in mid air, all of her surroundings had changed. The sun shone as it rose over the nearby buildings, illuminating the tall grass just beyond the town.

Furthermore, what should have ended in a fall that could have likely broken some bones had taken quite an unexpected turn.

"Fu-!" Emma couldn't even finish cursing as she fell into another body. A series of thuds and groans were expelled from the both of them as they tumbled through the greenery for a few feet until finally grinding to a halt. It was only after a moment's rest and regaining her bearings that Emma noticed this other person had actually successfully caught her and broke her fall.

Within seconds, the arms retracted and fell to the side and Emma found herself face to face - and lying on top of - another woman whose deep brown eyes radiated pure frustration. Well, her eyes and the glare and the otherwise cold demeanour.

"Miss Swan I presume?" her voice was low and husky, bringing a blush to Emma's cheeks until she finally put it together that the best idea would probably be to roll away and help the other woman up.

"Uh, yeah," she replied, still tired and dizzy, but with an extended hand that was taken begrudgingly, "How do you know who I am?"

"Because," the woman dusted off her long black coat, "My brother told me to meet you here. Well, not _here_. At the actual train station... three days ago."

"What?" Emma's eyes widened, "How did- What? Three days? I've been gone three days?"

"Yes, you're lucky you're still alive. How _did_ you manage to escape a Ghost Train in the first place? I hadn't even finished preparing the spell to slow it down." she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and when she didn't get a response within seconds, she only rolled her eyes and continued, "He also said you don't want to believe the things that are blatantly happening to you."

Emma shook her head, "Spell? Really? Look, I don't even know what's happening. I just jumped off and then-" she blushed again, "Sorry about that."

"I don't have time to convince people of these things, Miss Swan. You have two options: One, believe what we tell you and trust our expertise; or two, stay out of our way... and trust our expertise."

The blonde clenched her fist at the tone. She didn't like a black or white situation. Sure it had clarity, but having to choose between believing in - what? Black cats and ghost trains? - or just letting other people fool around with her life, her son's life? Emma didn't like that one bit. But there was one thing both paths had in common.

_I have to trust them anyway..._

She took a deep breath and finally met the chocolate eyes again, this time with more humility paired with her never-fading determination.

"Fine, I'll believe you," she extended her hand again, this time in a more friendly manner, "My name's Emma."

The brunette returned the gesture, nodding professionally, "Regina Mills, Paranormal Private Investigator."

* * *

Regina couldn't help but notice the way the blonde in her passenger seat was struggling to stay awake while staring out the window at the quaint little town. While she kept her eyes on the road, she still caught the yawns in her periphery, causing her to furrow her brow in thought.

_Three days... _They pulled up to a red light, allowing Regina a moment to look over the other woman more closely. There was no discernable damage to her body at all. No signs of hunger or dehydration, and any sleepiness she felt wouldn't have been reasonable even if the trip had gone exactly as planned. Before long, the streetlight had turned to green again and her focus was once more on the drive up to the farm house.

It was entirely too quiet to be comfortable, but right now neither woman could think of anything proper to say. Not only that, but Emma looked as though she was in no mental condition to answer the plethora of questions Regina had about what had just happened. And quite frankly, Regina wasn't entirely thrilled with the prospect of having to babysit someone who seemed to be this far in denial about her circumstances. She hated wasting time, she told herself while gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"We're here," the brunette noted, turning onto a gravel pathway that led up a small hill.

Emerald eyes blinked open a little wider. She hadn't expected the house of someone who owned a Mercedes to be this rustic; but at the same time, it seemed to fit its owner perfectly. It was also no surprise that while the old, beaten pickup truck was parked on the side of the small road, this car had it's own tent to protect it from the elements. Emma merely scoffed under her breath as she got to her feet, and waited by the passenger door for Regina to finish gathering some things from the back seat.

Emma's curious gaze noted some of the more eccentric items: vials, gem-studded pouches, a chalice - or two - and a whole lot of vials. To be honest, they all seemed a little out of place for the woman carrying them. As they walked up the pathway to the front door of the house, Emma had been taking in many of the sights but found herself often comparing it to the brunette's otherwise upscale attire.

"Hey!" Neal called as he opened the screen door so that Regina could keep using both hands to carry the supplies, "You made it."

Emma trailed behind, but forced an exhausted smirk to him, "Barely, apparently."

"You didn't tell me she didn't believe you," Regina said from the kitchen where she had placed the box on the countertop.

"You wouldn't have agreed then," he chuckled sheepishly when she emerged, rolling her eyes until Emma interjected.

"Hey I said I would go with it," she sighed, looking down at the floor, "Honestly... Why would I have even come all the way here? I left my kid, jumped a train, all just to ask you what the hell is going on."

"In any case," Regina decided to delay this particular discussion for a time when it would actually matter, "I'd be interested to know what happened to you on that train."

Emma stayed silent, shaking her head wearily while bringing a palm up to rub her eyes. It was almost painful, being around strangers who acted so casually about all of this, "It's not that I don't believe you," she continued, though her voice was much more strained, "It's just that... I'm afraid of what I do believe. Invisible stalkers, trains that take you to your death, as if my life wasn't bad enough, I just-"

Regina stood still, arms folded across her abdomen as she observed the desperate and nearly pleading tone coming from the blonde's voice. Her stone exterior wouldn't break under some simple tears and yet... she could tell the woman across from her would not be so easily broken either. The way Emma was staring at empty space ahead of her, lost in thought, did not seem sad - she didn't even know she was crying, most likely.

"Then what do you intend to do?" her tone was serious, but she kept the intimidation at bay, "You came all the way here to get our help; and we are willing. But nothing will be solved unless you start telling us what happened."

"But I don't know what happened!" Emma grit her teeth, once again coming face to face with the brunette's stern expression that never wavered.

"Yes, you do!" Regina stood her ground, even when the blonde's eyes bore into her own, "Magic is about believing, because there is no proof or logic to any of this. You were there, you know exactly what happened because there is nothing more to it than what you experienced."

"But-"

"Whatever you saw, or felt, on that train actually happened - without any plausible reason why. Perhaps I should clarify, I am now asking 'why do you think the train took you?' I am asking what happened on it and how you managed to escape. If whatever you did can be repeated, it can save lives. And as it stands, we don't have the time - or interest - to figure out the why of it all. Leave that to theologians, we're the ones who take care of the problems on the front lines," Regina stepped closer, proving she felt no fear of Emma's last-ditch attempt to get out all of her confused rage, "So, tell me: What happened to you?"

Both women were too stubborn to give in to the other just yet. Emma didn't know it at the time, but Regina had dealt with her fair share of skeptics in her line of work and could recognize the signs of someone hypocritically begging for answers while simultaneously digging their heels into the dirt when being pulled to the other side. It wore on her patience.

And Emma, on the other hand, was almost certain she was losing her mind. Thinking about it, about everything that happened to her on a surface level, she still had no idea how to even explain it. The way she was told to recount the details so easily frustrated her.

"It's like you have no idea what I'm going through!" she shouted through ragged breaths, only to be shot down again.

"Oh? And here I thought you were the one who had no idea what _we_ did for a living."

"Ugh! Don't! Okay? I need to figure some things out first before I can even try to-" Emma's body stiffened at that thought and her eyes jolted wide open, "Oh my god, Henry! I need a phone!"

"Your boyfriend?" Regina was in the midst of rolling her eyes and shrugging exasperatedly when Emma cut her short.

"My son," she turned back to Neal - he was, after all, the more familiar of the two - but noticed the way the other woman's sarcasm apparently froze away, "Please. If I've really been gone three days then he must be worried sick. And Ruby, oh no she's probably freaking out too!"

"How about we save the serious stuff for later," the stepped between his sister and their soon-to-be client, resting a hand on her shoulder, "We'll go upstairs, you can call home, get some sleep and we'll figure this out when you're ready."

"Thanks," Emma finally breathed again, following his guide to the living room where she could make her call.

* * *

Hours later, in the middle of the night, Emma awoke with a start; first from her nightmare and then from the initial shock of not being in her own bed. She blinked and wiped the sweat away, taking a moment to breathe while sitting up and calling a sheet in her fist.

_We're okay... Henry's safe, Ruby isn't mad... We all know we're all alive and that's the important thing_. She sighed, recalling exactly where she was as well as her encounter with both P.I. siblings. After a moment of thought, her eyes fell shut with a mirthless smirk. That was all Emma gave to the world before swinging her feet over the side of the bed and getting up to stretch. A quick glance at the window confirmed her suspicion that everyone else was most likely asleep, so if she wanted to wander down to the kitchen she would have to be quiet.

At least she didn't have to change - having passed out in her travel clothes after all - so she tiptoed her way out of the underused guest room. The hallways creaked, despite how hard she tried to avoid it, but there was a limit to what an old home like this could take. She made it to the far end where it split off into two areas: the kitchen and the much wider living room, which apparently doubled as a study. Emerald eyes peeked around the corner when she noticed a lamp was still on, but instantly looked away when she saw Regina sitting on the sofa with her feet up underneath her and a book in hand.

Emma didn't give her face enough time to cool down from the sight of the woman in glasses; she would blame her grogginess, but she had the confidence to say this now, so she would have to.

"I can't be stubborn forever," she offered a lopsided smile to the chocolate eyes that turned to face her with a hint of surprise. Emma took a single step closer, now standing at the edge of the sofa with her arms folded across her chest. Regina had put away her book almost immediately, but waited to respond, "I'm sorry if I was a jerk yesterday. When I panic I get stupid... I forget that, since I rarely panic. And I think the reason I did was because I do believe you. It's just hard for someone like me, I need-"

"Proof," Regina finished, "You're not alone in that. It's quite a common occurrence for those who encounter the monsters."

"Yeah, but I pursued it. I didn't have to, but I did because... Heh... I don't even know why."

"Because you believed it."

Emma's stare froze on the woman as she stood up, placed her glasses on the side table, evening their heights and mirroring her stance, but her dumbstruck realization fell into another smile, "Yeah... I do."

Regina only nodded and walked forward, closely to Emma but past her and into the kitchen where the blonde instinctively followed. She went to refill the kettle and set it on the stove before turning back to Emma and motioning for her to sit. Within seconds, they were back to the same uncomfortable silence, only to be broken with an even more uncomfortable topic being broached.

"So, what do you do, Miss Swan?"

"Uhh," Emma stuttered a little, but quickly got her game face on, "That depends, are Paranormal P.I.s connected to the police in any way?"

Regina couldn't help but snicker at that one, "No. We are a dreadfully underfunded private business who prefer to work within our own rules. Not that we stray from the state laws in any way," she paused, "...Often."

Emma caught her laughter, but fell into a sulk, playing with her hands and unable to meet Regina's eyes, "I don't have a job. To be honest, I can't actually get one. I've got no education and a criminal record - and a kid - so that cut downs almost all of my options. So, if you're asking what I _do_: I steal."

Regina was stiff, but not cold. She had dealt with many clients of varying backgrounds; and it seemed as though the demons targeted the less fortunate by nature. Her eyes were not judging Emma, simply calculating her sincerity. Unlike any of her previous clients, Emma was the first to spend the night in her home - a thought that still left her in discomfort, but she hid it well - as well as the first to pique her interest so much.

"Is that it then?" the brunette finally spoke, calling the green eyes back to attention on her, "And you've never dabbled in anything supernatural before?"

"Never."

"So that just makes your escape from the train even more suspicious," Regina had gazed downward in thought for a second before Emma's giggle brought her eyes back up, "What is it?"

"That's what you're more concerned with? Not that I'm gonna steal your car - which I totally could by the way - or hidden money spots, anything?"

"Why would I be?"

"Because it's what I do, I'm a thief! And not just pickpocketing - I can break and enter and everything!"

"You sound quite proud of that," the older woman snickered and got up when she heard the kettle begin to whistle.

"Well you're taking me lightly! I bet you I can be out of here with your best jewelry before you take the first sip of that tea and you won't even hear anything from me after this sentence."

"Very well," Regina seemed all too calm about this, eyes twinkling when she turned around to see nothing but empty space. With her ever-present confidence, she strolled casually back out to the study and set her drink down beneath the lamp. She wasn't ready to go back to her book just yet though; there was a point to prove. With a smile, she lifted the mug to her lips, and the moment the burning liquid touched her tongue there was a loud crash.

Emma had been thrown all the way from the back door, down the hallway, and tumbled across the carpet into the front door. The blonde was dizzy, surely, but still found it in herself to grumble a few curses and roll onto her back. She opened a twitching eye to see the brunette now standing over her, looking down with a smirk. However, before she got a chance to let out one of the many snarky comments she had in mind, Emma beat her too it with the extension of her hand. There she was, lying on the floor, disheveled and a little burnt and smoking, with the biggest grin on her face and a ring between her thumb and forefinger.

"Alright magic lady, I get it. You get to keep this."

* * *

**A/N: Yay! They finally met! Sorry again for taking so long. I'm just getting back into the habit of writing so my imagination is a bit rocky and inconsistent.**


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